


New Friends

by Captain_Savvy



Series: The Stormcrown Prophecy [3]
Category: Dragon Age, Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alfiq, Alistair (Dragon Age) Loves Cheese, Crossover, Crossovers and Fandom Fusions, Dragon Age - Freeform, Dragon Age/Elder Scrolls, Guards, Khajiit (Elder Scrolls), Male Bonding, Male Friendship, Mixed Character, Nirn, Nord, Skyrim - Freeform, Skyrim Alistair, Storms, TOEEE BEEEAAAANS, Tamriel, The Bannered Mare, Thedas, Toe beans, Whiterun, bosmer - Freeform, cat dad, dog chasing cat, man and cat, purrs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23270899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Savvy/pseuds/Captain_Savvy
Summary: Alek is a friendly guard in Whiterun. Jodar-Ri is an alfiq undercover who needs a friend. What happens when they encounter one another on a dark and stormy night?
Series: The Stormcrown Prophecy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1628665
Comments: 7
Kudos: 20





	New Friends

**Author's Note:**

> This is a part of The Stormcrown Prophecy, set after the events of The Road to Skyrim by SnippetsRus. :)
> 
> Thank you so much to Snippets for proof reading! <3

It was a storm of storms that raged over the city of Whiterun. Thunder rolled like the roar of a dragon; lightning split the sky in violent flashes. Most of the population was sequestered inside, away from the pouring rain and wild winds. The guards, of course, weren’t so lucky. Their duty was the protection of the town and, come rain or snow, they were to keep to their patrols.   
  
It was only a sense of duty that kept Alek trudging along the empty street while the rain and wind assaulted him. His uniform was drenched and he was cold and miserable; his torch had long been abandoned, since there was no chance of it remaining lit in this gale. Up ahead he could see the merrily glowing windows of the _Bannered Mare_ through the torrent, and he felt a great sense of longing.   
  
“They’re the lucky ones,” he sighed aloud, “Hot cider, warm fires. Dinner! I wish _I_ had dinner.”  
  
The young man stepped under the shelter offered by the smithy, Shieldmaiden’s, awning and removed his helm, setting it down on a stack of firewood. With one eye on the street he reached into the pouch at his belt and produced a block of cheese wrapped in waxed paper. It wasn’t a full meal, but it would have to do for now. His conversation with himself continued as he nibbled.   
  
“Take the night patrol, Alek, it’ll be simple enough. Oh, as you say, commander, nothing interesting ever happens at night. Except the unholy thunderous wrath of Oblivion, obviously. Not a thing to worry about, I’ve got it all under control. Stop this ruckus, storm cloud, or I shall have to place you under arrest!”  
  
As if in answer lightning cracked, followed by a roll of thunder. He took another bite of cheese and leaned against the side of the building. At least a storm wasn't bandits, he supposed. As he gazed outward for any sign of trouble, he suddenly spotted something moving in the street. Alek leaned forward, straining his eyes to see. Two dark shapes tore back and forth over the cobbled ground before coming in his direction. A pair of animals came into view- a large, snarling dog chasing a black and white cat.   
  
“EY THERE!” Alek set aside his snack, “Clear off, dog! Leave it alone!”   
  
He dashed out into the rain without his helm, drawing his sword on instinct. The cat dashed between his legs but the canine was brought up short; with its prey lost, it turned its ire on the guard. The beast let out an agitated bark.   
  
“Down!” Alek commanded, “No eating cats!”  
  
 _Bark! Bark! Bark!_  
  
“Off with you! Go home!”   
  
Alek waved his sword in the air and stomped his foot. Thunder boomed overhead, and at last the dog backed off and turned away. It stalked through the rain up the path toward _The Drunken Huntsman_. The beast belonged to the elf Anoriath- a hunting hound, he supposed- which meant it ought to be better trained. With a grunt the guard re-sheathed his blade and returned to his shelter, his head now as soaked as the rest of him. He ran a hand through his dripping locks and scanned the area with dark eyes. Finally he spotted a white-tipped tail sticking out from behind the wood pile, twitching anxiously.   
  
“Ello there kitty,” he cooed gently. “The big mean doggie is gone. You can come out now. Let me see if you’re hurt.”   
  
* *  
  
 _Dark Moons, this one nearly lost his tail!_  
  


Jodar-Ri shivered behind the stack of wood and huddled in on himself, trying to be as small as possible. He cursed Skyrim and its dogs for the umpteenth time since he had arrived in Whiterun a month ago. He cursed himself for ever coming to this cold, hard land. How he missed the warm sands of Elsewyr! How he missed having a friend that he could count on! Nothing had gone right since that fateful day in Rimmen. Now his cousin Nezdal was far across Skyrim with his caravan. His altmer companion Zavrian was missing. His new nord comrade Callum, too. The Companions had not wanted him in their ridiculous ship-house, and the tavern Callum had taken him to was no place for him as long as the traitorous redguard was there. Things had only gotten worse since he had moved onto the streets.

He could hear the guard shouting at the mongrel, and even over the din of rain and wind his sharp senses knew when the beast turned tail and left. The alfiq breathed a small sigh of relief. For the moment, he could rest. His heart was racing, his lungs ached, and his fur was soaked through and through, but at least he would be left alone to gather his thoughts and catch his breath. Or so he thought.

  
“Come on out, kitty. Alek isn’t going to hurt you. You like cheese? I’ll share with you, and I don’t say that lightly.”   
  
Jodar-Ri’s nose twitched at the smell of the proffered dairy. It had been quite a while since he had managed to scavenge anything decent to eat, longer still since anyone had kindly shared a morsel. This man had helped him against the dog, after all. Surely the khajiit could accept the offering without jeopardizing his cover? Slowly he emerged from his hiding place and looked up. The guard was kneeling there with a pinch of cheese between his pink, fleshy fingers.   
  
“Ah, there you are! Aren’t you a handsome boy?”   
  
The look of delight on the man’s face almost made Jodar-Ri chuckle, but he bit his tongue. If he laughed, it would give away his true identity as an alfiq- one of the rarer Khajiit furstocks. No matter how humiliating, he had to continue the deceit and pretend to be an average domestic cat. He hadn’t come this far to fail for a bite of cheese. That did not mean he was passing up on it, however. Gingerly he raised his head and accepted the gifted snack. Within moments it was gone, and raised his tail in thanks.  
  
“ _Mrow?_ ”  
  
“Ah! A great conversationalist too!”   
  
More delight. Some people were incredibly easy to manipulate. The man unslung his shield and set it down as he situated himself on the ground. Using it as a makeshift plate, he tore off several small bites of cheese and placed them upon the polished wood. Jodar-Ri’s ears twitched and his whiskers wiggled. It was a generous gesture. Most of the people in Whiterun either threw scraps into the dirt at his paws or just chased him away with brooms. They expected him to catch and eat rats. Rats!  
  
“I don’t have any cream, I’m afraid.” The man- Alek, was it?- apologized. “I wonder if Hulda has any up at the ‘ _Mare_? She might be willing to share. If not, a bowl of cream can’t be more than a couple septims.”  
  
 _The man would buy this one cream as well? A night of wonders._  
  
Jodar-Ri settled by the shield to help himself to the guard’s offering. A few peaceful moments passed with only the sound of the pouring rain around them, and the savory taste of the cheese on his small tongue. The meal did wonders for the Khajiit’s belly and mood. Just as he’d finished and was licking his whiskers, however, he sensed the man’s hand moving toward him. The fur on his back went rigid and he tensed; his tail twitched. Ears flattened against his head, he watched warily, prepared to extend his claws… but Alek simply scratched behind his ears. The sensation was nice, calming. It reminded him of the reassuring touch from Callum. The two nords were quite different, but both had shown him kindness. A purr escaped his throat before he could help himself. He turned and rubbed his cheek against the friendly hand.   
  
“Feeling better now, I hope,” Alek said with a smile. “Good. I welcome the company. Even a cat is better to talk to than… well, myself.”  
  
The man stood up, then. He picked up his shield and returned it to his back, then reclaimed his helm. With the rain still falling heavily, however, he made no move to exit the shelter of the awning. Jodar-Ri leapt up onto the woodpile and made himself comfortable, tucking his legs and paws beneath himself for warmth. He felt safe with this guard nearby.   
  
“Oh, going to take a nap, then? Don’t want to talk to me? I see how it is.”   
  
_Quit your complaints, sword-friend, this one has had a long day._  
  
He merely thought the comeback, of course. With a sigh he closed his eyes. He was content to doze until the rain ceased; and every once in a while a friendly hand would pet his head or scratch his ears, and the khajiit found that he did not mind in the slightest.   
  
Jodar-Ri was awoken when he felt himself being lifted. On instinct he scrambled against his captor, claws out, a hiss in his throat.   
  
“Owowowow! Woah, sorry!”   
  
Ah, it was merely his new friend. The alfiq found himself pressed flat against the man’s chest, the claws of one paw dug into the flesh of an exposed arm, the other buried in the fabric of his clothing. He relaxed, withdrawing his natural weapons (to a squeak of pain from the guard) and climbed upwards.   
  
“By Talos, you don’t need a sword, do you?”  
  
 _This one has twenty of them_ , he thought. He made himself comfortable, balancing on the broad shoulder of the man and finding it to be a good perch. This way he was much taller. Despite the fact that he could keep himself from falling, Alek brought up a protective hand to lightly hold him steady.  
  


“Well, the rain’s stopped, and my shift is over. Let’s go see if we can convince Hulda to give us some cream. No clawing her, though. Fairly certain she wouldn’t like it.”

Jodar-Ri's ears flattened and he crouched down against Alek's cheek as they neared the tavern. Hulda had been kind enough to him, but he had no desire to be anywhere near the redguard cook Saadia, not even for a bowl of cream. If she knew the Thalmor were searching for him, it would be far too risky. Especially since he no longer had his disguise.

"Scared of the tavern, boy?" 

Alek slowed, giving the alfiq's chin a comforting scratch. Even without words he had perceived Jodar-Ri's discomfort. But then, he'd always had a way with animals. 

"Guess it is awfully noisy for a cat. Alright then, you wait out here. Don't run away, please?" 

He chuckled at his own silliness in conversing with a cat, but still he set the feline down on the steps and gave him a few pets before stepping inside. 

The _Bannered Mare_ was crowded, as usual. The smell of the fire-pit mingled with that of heady ale and roasting meat. Mikael's lute offered ambient music that underlined the voices discussing the war, the weather, the Graymane-Battleborn feud. Alek bypassed Saadia, who carried a trey full of drinks, and stepped up to the bar. 

"End of your shift, Alek?" Hulda greeted warmly. "Do you want your usual?"

"Not quite," he answered with a smile. "A bottle of ale, and a bit of cream." 

Hulda cocked one eyebrow at him. 

"You do have cream, don't you?" 

"We do," she said. "It's just not a typical choice for strapping guardsmen." 

"It's for a new recruit. Short fellow, fuzzy, speaks in meows." 

"Ah, I see." Hulda laughed softly and walked away. In a few minutes she'd returned with two bottles which she set down lightly. 

"Ten septims, Alek." 

"Here you are." He handed over the coins and claimed his loot, then nodded his thanks before heading to the door. A couple of off-duty guards called for him to join them but he merely waved. He had other business to see to... at least, he did if his new friend hadn't run off. 

To his great delight he found that was not the case. The cat still sat patiently on the steps, and when he saw Alek he stood up eagerly on all fours. 

" _Mrow!_ "

"Ah good, you're still here!" 

The guard knelt and extended an arm as though to gather him up, but before he could, the feline had already leapt onto his shoulder again. He sniffed at both bottles with keen interest.

"Alright, alright," Alek laughed. "We'll break them open when we get home." 

* * *

Home was the barracks. It wasn't a grand palace or even a private cottage, but it was safe, warm and dry. The other off-duty guards were all at the tavern, and the rest were just beginning their shift, so Alek and his new friend had the place to themselves. He shed his boots and soaked uniform and changed into a dry pair of britches, never noticing that the cat turned his head to offer privacy. The wet things he draped over chairs near the fireplace. Then, he sat down on his bed and poured the cream into a wooden bowl on the floor. 

Jodar-Ri eagerly began to drink. It was like the moons themselves had sprinkled their light into that aged bowl- it seemed an age since he had enjoyed such a delicious treat. For a few brilliant moments he could almost imagine he was back at the _Sugar Bowl_ in Rimmen, enjoying the comforts of home. 

"Good stuff, ey?" Alek raised his bottle in a toast and sipped his own beverage. "Here's to you, kitty." 

The alfiq sat back and cleaned his whiskers, giving up a small sigh at the sight of the empty bowl. He wished that he could just _tell_ the man his proper name. Being called 'kitty' had not been amusing when Zavrian had done it, and it was less so now. Still, this was how things had to be. 

"Let's see. If you're going to stay here, you'll need a cat box, I suppose." Alek tapped the neck of the ale bottle against his chin. "The other men may not like it, but they can deal with it. Culgruf passes enough gas to kill a basement full of skeevers and they haven't run him out yet."

Jodar-Ri flattened his ears again. Using a box? He could keep up his act but _that_ was a step too far. He sauntered to the door of the building and glanced back at Alek. 

"You want to leave?"

A scratch at the door and a meow confirmed it. 

"Well I guess you did get your cream. Alright then." 

Disappointment was obvious in the guard's voice as he padded over barefoot and opened the way. The small black and white creature slipped out and vanished around the corner. With a sigh Alek closed the door and walked back to his bed. Cats were fickle creatures, of course. He returned to his bottle of ale, draining it in a few hearty gulps. It warmed his throat and belly, and with a yawn he set the bottle aside and stretched his weary limbs. He was just about to lie down for sleep when the sound of scratching and meowing caught his attention. With mild surprise he hurried back to the door. Sure enough, the cat was standing on the other side, fur damp from a fresh sprinkling of rain. He didn't enter, though- he cocked his small head to the side as though asking permission. The look in his eyes was intelligent, almost knowing. 

"Welcome back," Alek's mouth spread into a broad grin and he ushered his new friend into the barracks. The cat walked in, brushing against his legs affectionately, and headed straight for his bed. 

"Time for a nap, I suppose? I shan't argue with that." The guard sat down on the straw mattress and then lay back, resting his head on the pillow and throwing the fur blanket over his legs. Jodar-Ri leapt up onto his chest and settled down with an immediate rolling purr. Alek couldn't help but smile and scratch behind those adorable ears. 

"We'll be good friends, you and I." 

_We already are._ The alfiq began to lick his paws even as he lay there. 

"Cleaning your beans?" The man laughed at himself. "Your paw pads, I mean. They look like little toe-beans." 

Jodar-Ri flicked his tail, but mused on this as he studied his paw. He could not argue with the logic. They did look like beans.

"Toe Beans. That's what we'll call you." 

_Bright Moons. That is worse than Kitty.  
_

But he could not find it in his small heart to be annoyed. He lay his chin on his paws and closed his eyes. A friendly hand continued to stroke his fur, lulling him into a sense of calm. He felt truly comfortable, safe, protected. He could relax like he had not in weeks, and that relief was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes. He swallowed them, though, and simply allowed himself to rest. It was not long before he was lost in slumber, the tiniest snore emitting from his small nose. 

And Alek, feeling warm and happy with his new friend purring away on his chest, soon followed him into sleep. 


End file.
